Rep. Vern Buchanan says he will vote against Zika bill

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, said Wednesday he will oppose House legislation he said contains “inadequate” funding to address the growing threat posed by the Zika virus.

“The funding in this bill is far less than what the Centers for Disease Control said is needed to confront the Zika threat,” Buchanan said in a news release. “The lives of thousands of infants are potentially at risk. There’s no excuse for failure to act responsibly and swiftly.”

The House bill includes $622 million, but Buchanan has called for Congress to set aside partisan difference and approve the full $1.9 billion requested by President Barack Obama. Otherwise, Buchanan said the government won’t have adequate funding to diagnose the virus, combat mosquitoes and develop a vaccine.

Buchanan was the first Republican in the House to support the Obama administration’s request for emergency funding to combat the virus. The Centers for Disease Control has told Buchanan the money “is essential to protect people in Florida and elsewhere as the summer months approach and mosquitoes flourish,” the news release states.

Florida has 120 reported cases of the Zika virus as of Wednesday, according to the Florida Department of Health. Across the United States, there are 503 travel-related cases of Zika, according to the CDC.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Rep. Vern Buchanan says he will vote against Zika bill."